Run
by tani-chan
Summary: AU/AT Zelos is the Chosen of the declining world of Tethe'alla, facing a destiny he never thought he would meet. He and his group must save their world - and find out they're part of something much larger than they think. New chapter each week!
1. Chapter 1 Downhill From Here

_Run_ is a fanfiction that's been eating my brain for a good while now. I've gotten bunnies for stories like this for a while, but it's within the past months I finally got an idea concrete enough to write this. This is not by any means an amazing piece of writing - at least in my books - but I hope that it entertains you. (Wow, that was cheesy.)

I'm going to be posting each chapter once a week (or closest to once a week I can get) until the end. This is all prewritten, minus the latter parts which I will write as I post the first parts. This is technically the first multi-chaptered story that I have been able, and bothered, to work so much on. (Pitiful, I know.)

Since I originally started to write this in November of last year, this is... kinda ridiculous. In any case, each chapter begins and ends with my original notes – which will hopefully explain some things that I've left out (if you're curious). _Please_ check out the post on Livejournal – which is hosted at the username **boundtobeafraid** – for special extras I've worked on, which include skits and chapter art!

Anyway, before I begin, I'd like to give out a big thank you to evilhanyou, immelmanturn, and lilichen of Livejournal for taking the time to beta my story. Grammar is not my friend, my vocabulary is horribly weak, and it's always nice to have someone read your work over. Thank you so much. And to my dear friend sakebi for putting up with me babbling about this thing, reading it over, and helping me bounce ideas around. You are awesome. (Oh, and thanks to Snow Patrol for writing the song that made this bunny hit me so hard in the first place.)

Anyway, here's my attempt a long, multi-chaptered fanfiction – _Run_. I hope you enjoy it.

**--**

**Run**

**by tani-chan**

**Chapter One - Downhill From Here**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it thereof. Why I would, I have no idea.

**Genre: **Drama/Action/Adventure

**Rating: **PG-13

**Note: **This is a shot at a bunny that's been eating my brain for no particular reason. I've always liked the idea of Zelos going through the Chosen ritual instead, and what that would entail. This is probably by no means a canon take on things, and really just me playing around with a rather odd plot device. chuckle Oh, and the title of the fanfiction and chapters comes from the songs of the same name by Snow Patrol, which me listening to them is what really got the bunny rolling. Other than that, I really have no reason for this strange thing.

**--**

_I only do this cause I love you_

_And you can make things easier_

**Downhill From Here**

**--**

"Colette!" Lloyd screamed over the battle raging behind him. "Kratos! What-"

"I am taking the Chosen," was the only response from the angel who stared at him, his eyes cold and hard. Colette was beside him, her eyes dull and lifeless. Her soul was sealed with the Cruxis Crystal.

Lloyd felt the rage bubbling up inside him, and he swung his arm to his side, standing in defiance against his onetime ally. "Like hell you are!" He rushed forward, his heart thundering in his chest. Genis and Raine were still handling Remiel, and large explosions and cries were loud behind him.

Kratos' eyes narrowed, and his sword was out in a flash, blocking the quick blow from Lloyd. "She will become the new vessel for Martel. You cannot stop this."

Lloyd's brows furrowed in anger, and he lashed out against him again. "No!" He eyed the girl behind Kratos, his heart flickering in sudden guilt. _It's my fault she's like that..._

Kratos did not falter, however, and threw Lloyd away with a hard strike and a crackle of lighting from his blade. "You cannot save her this time Lloyd," he said, a light suddenly flashing above him as he and Colette rose upwards. "You cannot protect her from this fate."

Lloyd was quickly on his feet, looking upwards helplessly as they slipped away. "No!" he cried out, looking frantically to find a way upwards to reach them. "No! Colette!"

Kratos paused, his eyes soft again for a brief moment. "I'm sorry Lloyd." And with that, they disappeared. A large explosion rocked Lloyd, as his eyes widened in shock and horror. She was gone. She was _gone_.

"No!" he sobbed out. "_Colette_-!"

**--**

"This is worrisome. The magitechnology had not begun to fail until now."

A group of men and priests had gathered in one of the many rooms of the castle, their faces showing the worry and stress that had gathered quickly in the passing years. They spoke almost in hushed tones, as if worried someone or something could hear and everything would be ruined.

"True," a man answered, turning to face the priest that had spoken. "Our scientists assure us that the connection to this is due to the Tower of Salvation's disappearance from the land three years past. The mana is leaving us. Tethe'alla has certainly lost the favor of Cruxis..." He sighed, his eyes dull as worry overtook him.

"After 800 years of prosperity, it was something that many feared would happen," another man answered, his tone bitter. "We were probably due to lose the mana someday. I'm sure it was amazing we had it this long."

"Yes, probably. The few half-elves that have not left their stations tell me that the Desians have returned." The level of tension in the room rose almost instantly. Wary glances were traded as the news sunk in. "It is just like the stories."

"Yes," a priest said. He turned, looking at the Pope, seated next to him. "Have we received word that the oracle will descend to us from heaven?"

"Yes," the Pope said, his eyes steely. "The Chosen is to make his journey soon. We have only to convince him."

**--**

"Honestly, I don't see the whole win in this situation of saving the world for me," Zelos said. The Chosen was obviously annoyed, and while his tone was still playful, his eyes were hard and anything but cheerful.

The Pope, sighed, rubbing his temples for what felt like the hundredth time. He had never liked this Chosen - he was nothing like his father. He may have had his own problems but had always followed the will of the church. Zelos was just a problem in every respect, and the Pope would like nothing more than to get rid of this obstacle in his way. The King, of course, would never allow that, but...

"You are the _Chosen,_ Zelos Wilder. Your sole purpose is to save our world when our need is dire," he said, staring as said Chosen huffed angrily, almost letting out a whine.

"I realize that, I realize that," Zelos said, waving his hand as if to swat the topic away. "Besides my motivation to save our helpless masses, I don't see what would possess me to risk my beautiful body for all of this." He may be the Church's lapdog when it came down to it, but he wasn't going down without a fight. In the end, he knew that the Church would dig up something to twist his arm and make him do it. But if they thought he wasn't going to drag his heels every step of the way, they had another thing coming.

Zelos played with one of the many items on the Pope's desk, trying to show his complete lack of care for the current topic. "Anyway, what would all the women think if I suddenly left them to risk my life? I'm sure it would break their hearts to find out. Let alone anyone else who knows me. I have _obligations_ to my fans, you know. And this oracle is coming to the chapel in Flanoir? I have a problem with this-"

The Pope seethed quietly, growing more aggravated with each passing minute. He ignored the Chosen's continued babbling, watching him toss the pilfered item idly between his hands. What a fool! If he were in charge, instead of that imbecile of a king, he would have this one executed for such insolence! He racked his brain for something, anything that would get Zelos out the door and on his way without so much as another peep.

Then, it suddenly occurred to him. _Seles_. Yes, yes, that's what he would use! The Chosen would do anything for that useless sister of his. He glowed inwardly, grinning over his victory.

"Chosen," he began, keeping his face straight. "Your sister, Seles-"

"What about her?" Zelos cut in, snapping back to attention.

The Pope grinned a little, satisfied with his reaction. "You do your duty as a Chosen, and I see no need for her continued confinement to the abbey." Zelos was instantly stilled.

"You'd- you'd let her out." It wasn't so much a question as a statement. He set the item he had been toying with down on the desk, instantly skeptical of the offer.

The Pope just nodded, plucking the item Zelos had just returned out of his reach. "Of course, you would have to complete your regeneration journey, but Seles would be freed. I could even make sure the title and... _comforts_ of the Chosen are allocated to her." The Pope gazed levelly at the boy, who was running this over in his mind. "Do we have an agreement, Chosen? For something other than the helpless masses to ease your mind on your journey?"

Zelos was still, then turned to look him in the eye, and cocked a cynical grin. "Sure."

The Pope smiled. "Good. You leave in a week."

**--**

"Master Zelos, you have a guest," Sebastian called.

"Yes, yes, let them in," Zelos said from his position at the table. Sebastian nodded and bowed, moving back towards the door. Zelos had gathered a large amount of items that he would need or wanted on the journey and was sorting through them. A halfway filled pack sat on the sofa nearby, and Zelos had taken to flittering between the table and the sofa as he picked items.

"Master Zelos, your guest is a priest from the Church," Sebastian said, bowing and leaving. Zelos just gave a small nod, moving over towards the sofa. The priest cleared his throat, hoping to catch the Chosen's attention. Zelos, however, just waved his hand, motioning the priest that he should speak.

"Chosen, as you know, your journey of regeneration shall begin soon," the priest began.

"Mmmm," was all Zelos said in response, his attention on the sword he was weighing in his hand.

The priest sighed, but kept on. "The Church of Martel is doing all we can to make this easier on you, the Chosen, and we have gathered together some people to assist you." Zelos just nodded again, his hands now digging through the pack.

"You will have a group hand selected to join you on this journey," the priest said, watching Zelos pick up items and set them down, placing some in the pack and others back on the sofa in front of him. Zelos didn't really listen to what the priest was saying and just kept nodding silently. This was all jargon anyway, and it was probably just some mind numbingly dull bodyguards they had chosen to accompany him on his doomsday journey.

"Other than the woman joining you at the request of Mizuho, you shall have two willing servants of the Church in your group," the priest continued, pulling a list from his sleeve. "Presea Combatir, a young girl who is skilled at the axe, and Regal, a prisoner who has agreed to help you in exchange for a... lesser sentencing."

Zelos just nodded again, but paused, suddenly noticing something. "Mizuho?" he asked, curious.

"Ah, yes," the priest said, pulling out the paper again to look through it. "A Sheena Fujibayashi has been requested to join you, as a emissary for Mizuho. To show their loyalty to Tethe'alla, they wish to also-" He was cut short though by the Chosen's sudden outburst of laughter.

"Sheena? _Sheena_?" he laughed, almost doubled over. "Ah, perhaps this will not be as bad as I thought!" The priest paused, confused. Zelos just laughed and shook his head, waving his hand to signal the priest to continue. "Ah, it is nothing, nothing. Where is this group to be joining me?"

The priest, still a little confused by the Chosen's actions, just nodded once and looked at the paper again. "They are to join you in Flanoir, where the oracle has prophesied his coming to begin and bless your journey in regenerating the world." He stopped, reading over the paper a little more before closing it and sticking it back in his sleeve, a smile on his face. "It is good to know that salvation is soon at hand. We are lucky to have this come so quickly as things have-"

Zelos just waved his hand again, interrupting the priest once more. He was back to packing things. "Yes, yes, that sounds good and all," he mumbled, hoping the priest would leave soon.

The priest grimaced a little and bowed. "I wish you well on your journey, Chosen," he said, leaving. Sebastian closed the door behind him, and turned back to face his master. "Is there anything else that you want, Master Zelos?"

Zelos paused and then shook his head. "No. But, I believe this journey is going to be better than I imagined," he said with grin.

Sebastian chuckled. "Very well, Master Zelos."

**--**

Flanoir, as per always, was covered in snow, and the snow was falling thick from overhead. In the few times that Zelos had actually even come to this city, he had never seen it in any other state. It was always cold, and always in snow, and always something he disliked greatly. Snow always trudged up bad memories.

He sighed and covered his body a bit more from the frigid cold that was quickly seeping into his bones. The Church had allowed him to come by EC to the city, but most of the rest of his journey would probably be by foot. That he was definitely not looking forward to. Other than the times his group would need to cross an ocean, they would be walking outdoors and probably sleeping there, too. They said it was all because the Goddess' journey requires a trial, but he suspected it was because they didn't want him in their hair anymore. That and the current mana shortages probably had something to do with it.

Zelos moved quickly through the already crowed streets. Many people had come to see the Chosen off on his journey, and he didn't need a whole gaggle of them crowding around him before he managed to get inside. He did not want to be stuck outside here any longer than he had to.

He managed to slip to the church relatively unnoticed and exhaled in relief as he reached it. The priests had blocked off the plaza in front of the chapel, and only one person was standing out in the cold in front of it. A rather shapely, well-developed person. _Sheena_, he thought and grinned, walking swiftly toward her.

"Oh, Sheena-!" he called out, his voice playful and amused.

Sheena turned around, her face flushed from the cold. Her expression went from one of mild curiosity to deep disgust though as she caught sight of him. She sighed, almost bracing herself. "Zelos. You're almost late, you know that?"

Zelos just laughed cheerily. "Ah, but I made it, didn't I?" he reprimanded, shaking his finger. "Besides, what made you wait out here? Could you not wait to gaze upon my stunning visage again?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she ground out. "The chapel is crowded, and I needed a breath of fresh air," she elaborated, looking back towards the door beside her before facing him again. "They're all going crazy looking for you, you know. Half of them think your elemental carriage crashed or something."

Zelos chuckled. "I'm not surprised. I'm important, you know."

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Sure, I know," she said, moving so they could enter the chapel. "Just get in there before they freak out any longer."

Zelos smiled at her, his eyes dancing playfully. "Of course, hunny." Sheena chose not to say anything more.

The blast of warmer air from inside of the chapel rushed over them as they entered, and Zelos gave a quick look around before stepping in fully, Sheena close behind him. "Oh! Chosen One! You're here, oh thank Martel you have come!" a priestess said, rushing over to him and causing the whole room to turn.

Zelos grinned, in his element. "Ah, yes, sweet hunny, I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, walking over to go join them.

Sheena sighed, rubbing her forehead briefly.

"I see the Chosen has finally come," a man said, stepping beside her.

Sheena looked up, catching notice of who it was. "Oh, Regal. Yes, he finally showed," she said, casting a glance to Zelos, whom had most of the female congregation gathered around him. She glowered, a bubble of anger welling up. "Always like that idiot to be so late."

Regal just gave a curt nod, deciding not to touch the subject. Presea was beside him, her blank eyes staring at the gaggle of people around the Chosen. "Oh, Presea, I didn't notice you were there, too," Sheena said, a little startled. Presea merely looked briefly at Sheena and gave a nod, then went right back to look at the crowd.

Sheena smiled awkwardly, and then grimaced a little. The girl was rather... _strange_, to say the least. She hardly ever said a word and had only so far introduced herself, making a few brief comments when spoken to. Regal, on the other hand, was much different from what she had imagined when they told her a prisoner was to join them. He was a gentleman; he had treated them with respect and spoke with an air of dignity, not at all like a prisoner. She would have pegged him for a noble had it not been for the handcuffs he wore.

Sheena was only here on request of her village. Why they had picked her to go with Zelos of all people on this soon to be ridiculous journey was beyond her. She could hardly stand the man as it was, and now she had to protect him? She snorted a little in aggravation to herself - this was ridiculous. If the stupid Chosen managed not to kill himself on this journey, she would be amazed.

"Your attention, everyone!" the head priest called over the noise of the crowd in the small chapel. Everyone stilled as they turned to face him. "The hour of the oracle's coming is at hand! If I could have the Chosen and his companions please step forward in front of the altar..." he trailed off as the group did as they were told and gathered. The rest of the crowd, which was comprised of mostly priests, priestesses, and a few choice civilians, went towards the back.

A window at the top of the chapel over the altar was opened, which let in a breeze of cold air and snowflakes. Sheena shivered a little in the sudden change in temperature. "We have been told that a light will signal the coming of the oracle," the head priest said, shuffling out of the way to show that a crystal had been placed in the middle of the altar on a platter of sorts. "We have placed your Cruxis Crystal here, Chosen One, as we were instructed."

Zelos let out a grunt of sorts and looked upwards towards the now open window with a grimace. "Will this take long?"

The priest looked a little taken aback by the Chosen's tone. "Well, we have no idea of time of the oracle's com-" He was interrupted by a sudden and bright glare of light that erupted from the Cruxis Crystal that immediately blinded everyone in the room. A few cries of pain and surprise came from the people in the back, and Zelos muttered a few curses under his breath as he covered his eyes.

There was a gentle noise, as if the ringing of small bells could be heard from above, and the group looked upwards as the light started to dim. A light was now above them instead, but was still almost as bright. An angel descended from the light, his wings outstretched and fluttering gently as he stopped and hovered just above them.

"Chosen One of Tethe'alla, I am Azrael, an angel of judgment from Cruxis."

Zelos grimaced. "Great."

**--**

Ahaha, sorry to leave it off short there, I suppose. Anyway, that's the start.

I realize you don't get to hear the whole jargon that the angel should give when the Chosen arrives to accept their task but... Ah, I don't really care. is hit I didn't really feel like starting up another play through to hear all that. And yes, Azrael is the name of the angel because, well, I really had no clue what to name him. So, there you go. :\

And I couldn't think of many things that could get Zelos started on this journey other than the promise of Seles being freed. Sure, I'm sure that Zelos would really not like the idea of his world dying and would try to save it, but him actually doing the Chosen ritual would be another thing. He wouldn't willingly or happily do it, that's for sure, in _any_ case. Ah, this will be fun to write...

Also, think of this as if the Renegades had never visited Tethe'alla and told them of the existence of Sylvarant. Sheena never was sent to kill Colette, since they never knew of it. And, sadly, Lloyd failed in saving Colette from Cruxis taking her at the end of their regeneration journey. This is set around three years after that, and pretty much just runs on a lot of ifs. sweat

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. :D I'm going to try my hardest to write all of this and really get this multi-chaptered idea going. chuckle

-tani-chan


	2. Chapter 2 Grazed Knees

Ack, I'm sorry I'm so late in posting this. sweat (That's what happen when you go on a trip, ahaha. I'm currently posting this on my friend's computer in Dallas. Go me. XD)

Anyway, chapter two starts to set up the group's journey and the first seal. Don't really have much to comment on, actually. Wrote it quickly along with the first chapter. shrug

Also, please visit the LJ post – hosted at the username **boundtobeafraid** – for skits and chapter art! I do a _lot_ more for that post, seriously.

Anyway, thanks to all who have been reading this so far. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

**--**

**Run**

**by tani-chan**

**Chapter Two – Grazed Knees**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it thereof. Why I would, I have no idea.

**Genre: **Drama/Action/Adventure

**Rating: **PG-13

**Note: **This is a shot at a bunny that's been eating my brain for no particular reason. I've always liked the idea of Zelos going through the Chosen ritual instead, and what that would entail. This is probably by no means a canon take on things, and really just me playing around with a rather odd plot device. chuckle Oh, and the title of the fanfiction and chapters comes from the songs of the same name by Snow Patrol, which me listening to them is what really got the bunny rolling. Other than that, I really have no reason for this strange thing.

**--**

_It's easier to lie and be safe_

_Time and time again I'm half stalled_

_One giant leap of faith is easy_

_When everyone you ask is so sure_

**Grazed Knees**

**--**

"Augh! I'm glad that's over!" Zelos yawned and stretched his hands over his head. The group was walking out of the chapel, out into the snowy streets of Flanoir. The crowds were all talking excitedly, although none had yet to approach Zelos. "That was so _dreadfully_ boring," he whined.

Sheena huffed, walking briskly to move past him. "That's all you have to say? You're horrible! Honestly." She shook her head. "Even meeting an angel doesn't get you excited!"

Zelos grinned lewdly at her, shuffling closer. "Ah, there are _many_ things that get me excited, hunny. Just not some stuffy old man telling me I have to save the world, you know."

Sheena rolled her eyes and moved away from him. "You're hopeless, you know," she said, smacking his hand away as it inched towards her. "And no funny business! I'm not having you trying to grope me this whole journey!"

Zelos laughed and pouted at her, but made no more attempts to seize some portion of her flesh. He looked off in the distance, where the Tower of Salvation rose towards the heavens once again. "Ah, I would say that it's good to have that in the sky again though, I suppose," he muttered, looking at it strangely.

Regal walked next to him, Presea still close by. "Chosen, I would exercise some caution. The journey is going to be ever more difficult now," he suggested.

Zelos rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, yes, I realize that. Especially now with this thing on me," he said acidly, pointing to the Cruxis Crystal now embedded near his neck. He wiped off some snow that fell onto the green jewel with a grimace, grumbling a bit. Regal just sighed a little. The Chosen was not going to be quiet about this, that much was for sure.

"Ah, why couldn't we accept the oracle in Altamira? That would have been nice," Zelos griped, waving to some girls that giggled as he passed.

Sheena grumbled. "What, so you could look at girls in bathing suits instead?"

Zelos grinned. "Yes! Exactly."

Sheena groaned and rolled her eyes, walking next to Presea instead. "Flanoir is a pleasant town, albeit a bit too cold," Regal said.

Zelos raised an eyebrow. "What, if you've got fur over your nuts?" he joked, causing Sheena to sputter a little. "Not that I hate it. No, cold's fine with me. Just rather have girls in bathing suits than full jackets."

Regal sighed. "Yes, I know, Chosen."

Zelos chuckled. "What have you got against Altamira, anyway?" he pressed, looking at Regal with a questioning eye.

Regal paused for a moment, but then sort of shrugged. "I did not say I disliked Altamira, Chosen."

Zelos grinned. "Ah, but you didn't say that you liked it either. You've got bad memories there or something?" Regal chose not to answer that, and Zelos just shrugged and kept moving. "Fine, have it your way."

After a few moments of silence, Sheena asked, "Anyway, where's the first seal?"

"Well, it would be easiest to journey first to the Temple of Ice, which is nearby," Regal suggested, looking down from the entrance of the city to the vast frozen wasteland that lay outside it.

"It is approximately 2.3 kilometers southeast from this location," Presea added, her voice flat and monotone.

Zelos let out a whine, obviously displeased with this decision. "The Ice Temple? I want to get off this frozen tundra of an island as soon as possible!" Sheena made a face at his tone of voice but nodded a little in agreement.

"Honestly, I'd have to agree with him. I'm no fan of this cold," she said, shivering a little. "But, if we finish this seal now, we wouldn't have to come back and freeze again," she added, sighing. Regal and Presea gave a nod, and they started to walk out of the city, leaving Zelos behind.

"Heeey- Don't I get a choice in this?" he whined, chasing after them.

"Nope."

"No."

"Negative."

Zelos pouted. "Ah, you guys are no fun."

**--**

"What-" Zelos slid a little, trying to stay upright. "Is-" He slid a little more, this time in the opposite direction. "With-" Again he slid, almost crashing into a rock that jutted out of the ice. "This place?!"

Sheena, who wasn't far behind him, yelled out heatedly. "Augh! I don't know. Maybe it being the Temple of _Ice_ has something to do with it?!" They had been sliding around an ice field that led to the inner sanctum of the temple for nearly an hour now. They were all tired and sore, and it had taken a good amount of the time just to figure out how to freeze the water in the first place.

"Well, _excuse_ me hunny!" Zelos yelled back, obviously irritated and grumpy, as was most of the group. Presea was the only one who didn't appear to be exhausted or in a foul mood. Even Regal had snapped a little the last time Zelos had crashed headlong into him. Sheena grumbled angrily and slid forward, trying to follow Zelos, but instead crashed into him, causing them both to crumble into a heap for the hundredth time.

"Augh, Sheena, as much as I like an excuse to be this close to your fine body, I'd rather not be splayed out on the ice yet again," Zelos complained, stuck under Sheena. Sheena growled and smacked him on the head, stumbling to her feet. Zelos yelped in pain, but joined her, using the rock he had almost hit earlier for support.

"You know, hunny, the force of you crashing into me was painful enough. I didn't need you smacking my head again," he whined, getting nothing more than another fuming look from Sheena as she slid away from him. Zelos sighed, following after her, as they tried vainly yet again to make their way across the ice.

**--**

Another hour – and many fights and bruises later – they finally found a way across the ice. More accurately, Presea pointed out a route that they all followed. The trick to open the door was easy as well; Presea simply recited the positions of the faces on some of the stone in the ice field they had seen when they crawled up one of the ledges.

The inner sanctum was just as cold as the rest of the place and was huge and cavernous. The group took a quick look around as they made their way to the dais towards the back of the room. "It... looks like a Summon Spirit altar," Sheena muttered, suddenly uneasy.

"Each seal awakens the Summon Spirit sleeping deep within, who brings forth the Goddess, sending mana to our world," Presea recited, looking blankly at the altar. Zelos nodded, looking at it as if it was something unpleasant. "Yeah. As I recall, there should be a monster or something guarding it-"

As soon as he said that, the door that led to the chamber suddenly closed shut, blocking the only way out. They all swerved to face the altar, which had begun to rumble loudly. A huge form was suddenly materializing, almost faltering for a moment, but a great wolf-like creature emerged. It snarled at them, and its breath frosted the surrounding walls.

"Whoo, _big_ boy," Zelos remarked, a little shocked at the sheer size of the monster. Presea rushed forward, swinging her axe at the monster's ankle. Yowling in pain, it turned around and faced her, trying to bite at her. Regal kicked it hard in the opposite direction, increasing its anger. Sheena attacked as well, with Zelos not far behind, casting a fire spell.

Distracted by the three attacking it, the monster vainly tried to strike each of them, going for whoever was hitting it the hardest. It managed to send Sheena and Regal flying for a moment, but Regal landed on his feet, and Sheena got up quickly.

"Burn baby! Eruption!" Zelos called, and a large rounded column of fire burst underneath the monster, causing it to roar in pain. Zelos grinned in his momentary victory, but his expression quickly changed once he noticed the monster was running right towards him. "Whoa!" he yelped, dashing out of the way just in time.

"Watch what you're doing, you stupid Chosen!" Sheena scolded, hitting the monster with another attack from her seals.

"Yes yes," Zelos responded, running to go attack the monster with his sword. The monster continued to try and maul those it could, sending Presea flying into a wall once; Sheena almost crashed into the altar multiple times. It also seemed to have a special attraction to attacking Zelos, seemingly bitter over the spell from earlier. It often interrupted him during any other spell he tried to cast, even First Aid for the rest of the party.

The repeated and constant barrage of attacks by the group eventually did in the monster. As it howled out as it disappeared into nothingness, a light began to glow over the dais. A part of the dais popped up, and the light burned brighter, with a figure hidden beneath it. But the figure soon disappeared, and the part that had popped up sank back down into the altar, and only the glowing light remained. Suddenly, the voice of Azrael loomed overhead, echoing in the deep chamber.

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar."

Zelos sighed a little and stepped forward. "...Yeah, yeah," he muttered, his hands folded in prayer. "Oh, Goddess Martel," he droned out, like he was repeating something he was told to say. "Great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!"

With that, the light over the dais grew brighter and began to almost separate into different balls of light, floating up into the heavens. Then a light shone from above, like in the chapel, and Azrael appeared as he did before, hovering over them gently with a sublime smile plastered on his face. "Chosen, you have done well to come this far," he said, almost monotonously. Zelos gave no answer and stared at the angel, trying to convey that he wanted this done and over with.

Azrael ignored him and continued. "The guardian of the first seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Celsius will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels." Zelos rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thank you." He heard Sheena tsk behind him but didn't say anything.

Four beams of coloured light floated down, twisting and turning before converging into Zelos. Zelos winced for a split second, and his Cruxis Crystal gleamed. Suddenly, bright orange coloured wings appeared from his back, sparkling and glowing in the dim light. The group behind him jolted with surprise, and Sheena let out a gasp. Just as shocked, Zelos floated up from the ground, casting a look back at them before turning back to Azrael as the angel began to talk again.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure," he said, his tone still dull, as if he was uninterested.

Zelos grimaced, his eyes flickering to the side for a moment but gave a nod. "I accept this trial," he supplied, also sounding bored.

"The next seal lies far in the southwest, in a vast cavern. Offer your prayers at that altar," Azrael said.

"Sure thing," Zelos responded.

Azrael nodded, disappearing in a ball of light and feathers. "I shall await you at the next seal, the Chosen of Regeneration," his voice echoed, disembodied with his disappearance. Zelos floated down, letting out a sigh of relief almost as he hit the ground.

Looking at the group gathered behind him, and their still surprised faces (minus Presea), he frowned. "What? Is it that shocking?" he asked, turning to flutter the wings.

Sheena gawked for a minute then shook her head vigorously, snapping out of it. "Augh, stop that, you stupid Chosen!" she yelled.

Zelos grinned and winked at her. "Want to watch me pull them out, hunny?" he teased, making them disappear for a second and before popping them back out.

Sheena flushed, conflicted between wanting to look at them and kick Zelos for being foolish. "I said stop it!" she yelled, flustered. Zelos laughed at her, letting her chase him around as he flew about the cavern.

Regal and Presea stayed still, watching them silently. Shaking his head and chuckling a bit, he turned to talk to Presea. "He said that the next seal was in a vast cavern. Could he mean the Temple of Earth?" he inquired.

Presea gave a nod in agreement, pausing as if to calculate something. "The Temple of Earth is northeast from the capital of Meltokio, and approximately 160 kilometers from this location. Easiest route is via the city of Meltokio, requires brief transport by boat back to the city," she droned, causing Regal to sweat a little.

"Ah, yes. Right," he muttered, a little taken aback by the girl. Taking another look at her, he paused before speaking again. She was reminding him of someone, someone he used to know so well... "...Presea, are... did you possibly-" he began, but he was stopped short by Zelos flying headfirst into him.

"Ack! Sorry!"

"You stupid Chosen!"

**--**

After scrambling back over the ice once more, they started to wander back through the temple. "I'm glad we were able to defeat that monster," Sheena said, cheerful after their victory.

"Indeed," Regal said. "It was quite large."

Zelos rolled his eyes. "Huge is more like it," he said, almost tripping over a puddle of ice. Grimacing, he coughed a little.

"Are you all right, Chosen?" Regal asked, as the party stopped along with him. "Did you catch a cold?" Zelos shook his head, coughing a little more.

"I don't think you have to worry, Regal. Idiots can't catch colds," Sheena said, continuing to walk.

"Hunny, that's cruel," Zelos whined, following after her and the party started moving again.

"Just stating the truth," she replied, at which Zelos pouted.

"...Are you really okay though?" she asked, quietly.

Zelos smiled a little. "I'll be fine, I think. Your concern is touching, hunny," he teased, poking her with his elbow.

Sheena frowned, moving away from him. "Oh, shut it," she said, flustered. "Just don't get sick. We can't have the 'savior of the world' sick."

Zelos chuckled, nodding. "Of course, hunny."

They kept on trudging through the temple, getting out as quickly as their tired feet would allow them, back into the now fading sunlight. "Oh, it's almost night," Sheena said, disappointed. "I guess it took longer than we thought."

Presea looked at the sun then back towards the direction of Flanoir. "It will take us approximately 3.5 hours to walk back to the city, in best conditions," she calculated, looking back the sun. "The sun will set in forty minutes. Possibility of reaching the city before sunset- less than 0.1 percent."

Sheena sighed, slumping in defeat. "You didn't have to tell me that..." Regal and Zelos emerged from the temple behind them, blinking a bit at the change in light. "Come on, Zelos, let's get back to the city as soon as we can," Sheena said, waving her hand, motioning for him to follow. Zelos just stood still though, looking blankly at the sun in the distance.

Sheena frowned and walked over to him, waving her hand in front of his face. "Hello- Tethe'alla to Zelos. Are you there?" she teased. Zelos looked at her just as blankly as he was looking at the sun, starting to sway a bit, his face growing white. "...Zelos?" Sheena asked, growing concerned. "Are you okay? You look pale..." Zelos swayed for another second and then collapsed, falling into her arms.

"Hey!" Sheena yelled out, surprised. Zelos gave no response though and laid limp in her arms, his eyes closed, and his face flushed.

Regal awkwardly placed his hand on Zelos' forehead, managing to move his hands gently over without knocking into anything. "He's got a high fever," he said, dropping his hand, his expression concerned.

Sheena looked down at Zelos, worried. "Zelos! Zelos, wake up," she pleaded, lifting him up a bit.

Zelos stirred a little, opening his eyes to a slit. "Dizzy," he muttered before leaning back into Sheena's arms, apparently not able to stand. Sheena frowned, not liking the fact that he managed to lean right into her chest, but she lifted him up anyway, pulling his arm over her shoulders so she could support him.

"Come on, you. We'll set up camp," she said, gently, getting a soft moan from him as a response.

**--**

Zelos woke up with a start a few hours later. They were in a small building, which looked to be the abandoned House of Guidance that they had heard about in Flanoir. The building seemed to be in relatively good condition, but it looked like someone had hastily boarded up a few holes with broken chairs and the like.

He sighed, rolling over. Sheena had fallen asleep right next to him, curled up under one of the blankets they had packed. "…heh." Zelos chuckled, brushing his hand across her cheek lightly. "Thanks, stupid Sheena," he whispered, smiling at her gently. Sheena mumbled a little in her sleep and shifted, burrowing under the blankets a bit more.

Chuckling a little more, he got up slowly, his head still reeling a little. "Ugh," he moaned, casting a look around the room. Presea and Regal were in the other corner, also sleeping. A dying fire was crackling in a dusty fire grate, a pot left over it. Zelos fished a bowl out of his pack and moved slowly over to the fire, shaking his head a little as another wave of dizziness hit him.

Finding some soup left in the pot, he scooped a little into his bowl, not feeling very hungry for some reason. Scooting away so the embers from the fire wouldn't hit him, he sat down, taking a small sip of the soup. He paused, confused by something as he looked back down at the soup. Shaking his head, he took another sip of the soup, this time letting it sit in his mouth for a second.

With a clatter, he dropped the bowl in shock, waking up the group with the sudden noise. "Huh? What was that?" Regal asked, bleary eyed.

Sheena looked at him from her position on the blankets, blinking slowly. "Are you okay, Zelos?" she asked, somewhat grumpy from being woken up.

Zelos faltered for a moment, but shook his head. "No, no, everything's fine, hunny. I'm just dizzy still," he said. Regal nodded and went back to sleep, and Presea just rolled back over. Sheena gave him a questioning look but crawled back under the blankets and fell back to sleep.

Zelos waited for their breathing to quiet and looked back down at the now spilled bowl of soup. _It... has no taste._ Zelos frowned, brushing his hand against the Cruxis Crystal briefly. _It's most likely nothing_, he mused to himself, picking up the bowl and cleaning up the mess, crawling back to the makeshift bed. _I'm probably just not hungry_.

He fell asleep, closing his eyes, his thoughts drifting. _At least, that's what I hope it is…_

**--**

Whew, long chapter, for me at least. I always loved Flanoir in the game; all that snow! So pretty. (I find it ironic that my favourite character is Zelos and he hates snow. chuckle Oh well.) One of my least favourite parts in the game though is that damned ice field in the Ice Temple. Getting across that thing is just _no_ fun. I almost always have to look at the guide each time I go across that thing...

And I wasn't sure what to have the monster of the seal be like, so I picked a wolf, which kind of makes sense. I suppose it would look like Celsius' partner, Fenrir, or something. It'd pretty much be the opposite of the monster at the fire seal. I wouldn't want to fight it, that's for sure. (And you can probably tell I'm not used to writing action scenes. Eh heh heh. I'll get better, I swear...)

Yes, Zelos' Cruxis Crystal is green. And yes, one of the NPCs in Flanoir mentions an abandoned House of Guidance. I didn't just pull these things out of my butt, you know. I did, however, pull the distances out of my butt. I have no idea how far away things would be.

First seal's done though, and now it's time to tackle the second seal. Although, they're going to have to make a bit of a detour, due to those silly little Gnomelettes. chuckle

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this. I'm going to try and write up all the chapters before I post them, so that way I don't do my usual habit of stopping after doing a bit yet again.

-tani-chan


	3. Chapter 3 Ways And Means

Again, sorry for being almost late in posting this. sweat It's my final day in Dallas, and I ended up getting caught up in other stuff. My bad.

Third chapter includes them going to the Temple of Earth – although they run into a few minor complications... Rather slow, so. sweat again Sorry. It picks up soon, I promise.

Anyway, had to rush both posts, but please check it out on the LJ post as well – hosted at the username **boundtobeafraid** – which include skits and chapter art!

Again, thanks to all who have been reading this! Hope you're liking it!

**--**

**Run**

**by tani-chan**

**Chapter Three – Ways & Means**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it thereof. Why I would, I have no idea.

**Genre: **Drama/Action/Adventure

**Rating: **PG-13

**Note: **This is a shot at a bunny that's been eating my brain for no particular reason. I've always liked the idea of Zelos going through the Chosen ritual instead, and what that would entail. This is probably by no means a canon take on things, and really just me playing around with a rather odd plot device. chuckle Oh, and the title of the fanfiction and chapters come from the songs of the same name by Snow Patrol, which me listening to them is what really got the bunny rolling. Other than that, I really have no reason for this strange thing.

**--**

_Maybe I won't suffer_

_If I find a way to love her_

_I'd be lying to myself_

_But there is no way out that I can see_

**Ways & Means**

**--**

The trip off the Flanoir continent was quick and getting a boat was surprisingly easy. All Zelos had to do was wave around his title of Chosen, and people were quick to respond. The trip on the boat was blissfully short, and they were left off near the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, not far from Meltokio. The group immediately picked up speed, going straight towards where they had heard the Temple of Earth to be located.

After a few hours of walking, Zelos stopped for a moment, sighing a little and looking behind him. "I suppose we're not stopping in Meltokio," Zelos said when the group was clearly far from the city. They were wandering around the forests that were on the way to the Temple. It was nearing the end of the day, but none of them had stopped yet.

"We got some supplies in Flanoir, and it will be faster to get to the Temple if we keep going," Regal said, getting an appreciative nod from Sheena. "You just want an excuse to laze around at your home anyway," she said.

Zelos chuckled, shrugging. "Ah, that and I'm sure my hunnies are worrying over me," he said, sighing dramatically.

Sheena fumed, hitting him over the head. "Stupid Chosen!"

Regal chuckled a little at their antics, rolling his eyes. "Perhaps we should stop here for the night?" he inquired, gaining an enthusiastic nod from the Chosen.

"Yes, please. My legs are so sore from walking for so long," Zelos whined, pointing to the offending limbs. Sheena glared at him, threatening to hit him again, but started to help the group set up camp once they reached a clearing.

The small clearing they picked was a good spot, and after chasing away the monsters in the surrounding areas (and keeping Zelos away from the Dark Bottles), the camp was all in order. Sheena volunteered to cook dinner that night, and the rest of the group set up the beds and such until she was done. They all huddled around the fire pit as night drew in, chomping away at the food.

"...Zelos, is something wrong?" Regal asked, noticing that the Chosen's plate was still rather full.

"Hmm? No, nothing's wrong," he said, the fork in his mouth.

Sheena took a look at his plate and frowned. "You're not eating much. Is my cooking that bad?" she asked, glaring at him.

Zelos grinned. "Of course not, hunny. I just can't eat too much, or otherwise I'll lose this handsome figure of mine!" He posed dramatically.

Sheena growled and threw a rock at him. "Just don't waste the food, you stupid Chosen!" she yelled, ignoring Zelos' whining after the rock hit him in the head. She was tired, and she did not enjoy having to deal with his foolishness constantly.

"Nourishment is beneficial and necessary for optimal progress," Presea droned, eating the food almost mechanically. Regal nodded. "You should eat some, Chosen. You did not have much for lunch, either."

Zelos sighed in defeat, nodding a little. "Yes, yes, fine. Don't worry, I'll eat," he grumbled, chewing a little more of the food. "As much as I can, anyway," he added quietly, chasing around the food on the plate with his fork.

"What was that?" Sheena asked, still a little angry from his earlier comments.

"Ah, nothing, nothing, hunny. Just trying to see if I can stomach this," he teased, getting another rock thrown at him.

"Just shut up and eat!"

Zelos sighed, brushing the rock out of his hair. "Yes, yes."

**--**

"Why are all these rocks in the way?" Sheena asked, a little confused at the rocks jutting out of the floor in front of them. There seemed to be rocks blocking every path they found, and they had only made it a little bit into the Temple when they were presented with the wall of rocks.

"Ah, leave that to me," Zelos said, grinning and displaying a ring on his hand. "The priests said something about these terminal things," he said, pointing over to a glowing platform that was nearby. He stepped up to it, and both it and the ring glowed for a moment. Still grinning, he walked up to the wall of rock and clenched his hand, causing a sort of shockwave to emanate from the ring. The rocks shook and fell, nearly crashing on top of the group.

"Watch what you're doing!" Sheena yelled, coughing a little bit from the dust.

Zelos sweated a little, holding his hands up in apology. "Ah, sorry, hunny."

"What is that thing anyway?" she asked, looking at the ring curiously.

"I believe it's called the Sorcerer's Ring, correct?" Regal inquired, looking at it appreciatively. "It's a treasure of the Church of Martel."

Zelos gave a nod, looking at it somewhat himself. "Yeah. One of the priests gave it to me before we left," he said, poking it a little. "They said it would be helpful. Something about it being made for the Chosen's journey or something..." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter anyway."

"I guess we should keep an eye out for those terminal things then," Sheena said, casting a look back at it before the group kept walking. They didn't get very far though when a small... creature stopped them.

"You can't just barge in here!" It looked almost like a very small person, but it was deformed looking and... strange. It almost looked like a lawn gnome. "You can't go any further!"

Zelos stared at it. "What the hell is this?"

The little creature fumed. "You're rude!"

Regal sighed, stepping forward. "We need to go forward. Could you please let us through?" he asked, smiling politely at the small creature.

The creature just shook his head though, turning away from them. "No! You can't go any further! Big Brother isn't back yet!"

The group blinked, confused. Regal tried once more, still talking calmly to it. "We won't be a bother, we just need to get to the seal. Please?" The creature still shook his head vehemently. "No! Not until Big Brother comes back!"

Regal sighed, shaking his head as well, turning back to the group. "Well, it appears we cannot go any further until this 'Big Brother' returns."

Zelos huffed, stepping forward. "Keh! As if. We can just walk _over_ this little-" He had been walking towards the little creature, just about to step over him when it pulled on his ankle, causing him to fall flat on his back. "...ow," he wheezed, the air knocked out of him.

"I said you can't go any further!" the creature yelled, shaking his finger at Zelos.

Zelos growled at him, pissed off. "Why you little-"

The creature motioned to kick Zelos in a rather private area, and Zelos instantly scurried away from him, hiding behind Sheena. "Never mind," he said quickly. "Maybe we can't go any further."

Regal sighed once more and spoke with the creature again. "If we find this 'Big Brother,' will you allow us passage?" he asked. The creature paused, considering something, and then nodded slowly. "If Big Brother's back, I don't see why not."

Zelos sighed, relieved as he stepped away from behind Sheena. "Fine, we'll find him, you little-" He shut up as the creature glared at him.

"Do you know where he could be?" Sheena asked, glad that Zelos had decided to finally stopped hiding behind her.

The little creature paused and then shrugged. "I heard he went to a big mine. That's all. Now leave before I get angry!"

The group sighed and turned to leave.

**--**

"A big mine? That's rather vague," Sheena said, sighing a little in frustration. They had made it out of the Temple of Earth, and they were now walking around almost aimlessly, unsure of what direction to head to.

"Well, there's always the Toize Valley Mine, right?" Zelos said, starting to think of mines. "That's the biggest one I know of."

Regal paused awkwardly, but gave half of a nod. "Yes, it's the largest known mine in Tethe'alla, and one of the few that are still operational," he said, gaining a bit of a look from Zelos. "I've... heard that creatures like that have been seen in that mine," he added.

"Really now, big guy? That's astonishing that you know so much," Zelos said, somewhat sarcastic. Regal shifted nervously, looking away from Zelos. "I... used to... work there, Chosen."

Zelos stared at him inquisitively, raising his eyebrow. "Mmm, I'm sure you had some sort of _job_ there..."

"_Anyway_," Sheena interrupted, also growing frustrated with Zelos. "It looks like going to the Toize mine is our best bet."

Presea gave a nod, turning to look south. "It is approximately 234 kilometers from this location, and will require another trip by boat."

Zelos groaned, slumping a little. "Augh, this is more hassle than it's worth..."

**--**

After a rather long boat ride, the group made it to the southern continent. Finding a boat was not so simple as it was before. No one seemed willing to take them, and they almost had to request a boat at the church in Meltokio, since for some reason no one at the dock would believe that Zelos was the Chosen. Luckily, a priest that was in the area helped them out, and they were allowed a ride on a passenger ship heading to the southeast abbey. As they passed the island that the southeast abbey was on, Zelos stared silently at it and didn't respond when anyone talked to him.

The boat left them off at a dock nearby, saying they would return in about four hours to pick them up. Luckily, the Toize Valley Mine wasn't too far from the dock, and they reached it in less than an hour.

"...This isn't good," Regal said when they had gotten into the mine. There was some sort of machine attached to what appeared to be the main door, and it didn't seem to be in good condition.

"What's wrong with it?" Sheena asked, as they got closer to it, trying to examine what the problem was. "Ah!" she yelped in surprise as an arm from the door slammed the ground right next to her. The machine suddenly sprang to life, attacking those who were close to it.

"It's the guard system!" Regal yelled out over the noise, kicking one of the arms as it tried to attack him. "Someone must have tried to force their way in and messed up the controls! I can't get us in!"

Zelos grimaced, dodging a small flying drone that had appeared and whacked it with his sword. "Could we just keep attacking it until we destroy it completely?"

Regal paused, considering the possibilities for a moment as the rest of the group continued to defend themselves against the guard system. "...That should allow us to get in through the door if we're able to dismantle it enough," he said, going towards a spinning platform that was in the middle of the chamber. "This is the auto repair unit that will continue to fix the rest of the guard system. I'll focus on this. You work on the door!"

The rest of the group nodded, charging at the door system as the arms continued to try and attack them. Regal managed to shut down the auto repair unit temporarily, giving the group needed time to be able to break down the guard system enough. After about ten minutes of fighting, and Regal shutting down the auto repair unit again, they were able to destroy the defense system and finally get inside the rest of the mine.

"Wow! So this is what that sealed mine is like," Zelos said excitedly, looking around the cavern with interest. "I heard they used to mine Exspheres from here."

Regal looked around the mine as well, but with more of a concerned look than one of curiosity. "...That is true, Chosen. But they closed off that area, as well as the tunnel to Moria," he said, examining a platform with a control switchboard. With a few flicks of switches, a moving platform zoomed towards them. "If we use this, we should be able to get over to the other part of the mine." The group clustered onto the platform, holding onto it for dear life as it zoomed back over to the other side.

"...There is a bolder blocking the path," Presea said, pointing at the rather large rock that covered what appeared to be the entrance tunnel.

"How are we supposed to get past that?!" Zelos whined.

"I suppose we have to use the Sorcerer's Ring... The terminal is this way. Please follow me," Regal sighed, leading the group back to the moving platform.

About another hour later, the group had finally got the boulder out of the way, and all the other boulders that were blocking the path inside the mine. Now they were just trying to find the small creature. "This place is huge," Sheena remarked, looking around the rather large cavern. "This is all part of the mine?"

Regal nodded, looking around as well. "Yes. This was more of an area where things were housed, however. There was only a small amount of actual mining done here."

Zelos looked around the cavern curiously, glancing over towards a path that led to a waterfall. "What's over there?" he asked.

Regal looked over as well. "Ah, that leads to where the Inhibitor Ore was housed. There might even be some left."

Zelos smiled a little to himself, contemplating something. "Hmm, maybe that would be useful later..."

"Let's just focus on finding the Gnomelette thing right now, Zelos," Sheena sighed, pulling him away from walking over to the bridge that lead to it.

Presea looked over to the bridge, silent. "...Presea," Regal began, trying to think of an appropriate way to word what he wanted to say. "...Did you possibly..."

"Ah!" Zelos yelled, interrupting Regal. Regal and Presea ran over, finding that Zelos had tripped over the Gnomelette. Sheena was standing over him, yelling something about him being stupid for not looking where he was going.

"I suppose that's one way to find it..." Regal said, sighing as well. When he was going to be able to talk to Presea was beyond him.

"Hey, you jerks!" the creature yelled, puffing out his chest. "I'm on a journey to find potion. I want to eat a potion!"

Regal stared at the creature, raising his eyebrow. "_Eat_ a potion...?"

Zelos got up, dusting himself off. "Potion? Why would a thing like you want that?"

The Gnomelette glared at him. "I want something that's only for adults that makes them feel good! I want it! I want it!" he yelled, stomping his feet.

Sheena sighed. "Well, I don't think we have any..."

Regal cleared his throat, pulling a bottle out of his pack. The group stared at him, and he flushed a little, embarrassed. "I... I've never had Flanoir Potion before, so..." he stammered. "I... Just thought it would be nice."

Zelos laughed a little, patting him on the back. "Good ol' Regal. Most sensible of the group," he joked.

Sheena sighed again, plucking the bottle out of Regal's hands and turning to face the Gnomelette again. "If we give you this, will you go back to the Temple of Earth?" she asked. The Gnomelette nodded enthusiastically, holding up his hands to take it. Sheena handed it to him, and he took the whole bottle, eating it whole. The group shrunk back a little.

"He _ate_ it!" Zelos cried, looking horrified.

The Gnomelette stayed still for a moment, as if contemplating the taste before sticking out his tongue. "Bleh! That's what I went on a journey for? That wasn't anything special. I'm going home!" And with that, he turned on his heel and zoomed out of the place, leaving the group staring after him completely confused.

After a few more minutes of collective shock, Zelos rubbed his hands together, looking back over to the bridge. "Now, about that Inhibitor Ore..."

**--**

After taking a small detour to pick up the Inhibitor Ore, which Regal surprisingly had no qualms about taking, the group made their way back through the maze of a mine. "We've got about an hour until the ferry comes back," Sheena said, trying to pull Zelos out of rooting through a treasure chest they had found. Zelos seemed keen on stalling a lot, and kept finding excuses to stop and look at something. "Do you want them to leave us behind?" Sheena yelled, frustrated when Zelos didn't respond and instead handed her a cape that was in the chest.

Zelos mocked being taken aback. "Oh no, of course not, hunny. Just wanted to see if there was anything good in there." Sheena sighed, shaking her head, but the group kept going, getting closer to the entrance. Zelos suddenly stopped short though when they were almost at the entrance.

"Augh, what is it this time Zelos?!" Sheena said, aggravated.

Zelos held up a finger to his mouth though, telling her to be quiet. "There's someone here."

The group stilled, all stopping to listen. "...I don't hear anything," Regal said softly. Zelos shook his head, motioning the group to follow him quietly, and they rounded the corner that lead to the entrance.

"...no good, there's no Exspheres here either." They heard a man talking, and saw the shadows of at least three people. Regal suddenly tensed, his brow furrowing as he jumped out.

"Ah, wait!" Zelos muttered, but it was too late.

"Vharley!" Regal yelled.

The man who had been talking turned around and nearly jumped when he saw whom it was. "Regal! So you're the one who destroyed the guard system outside!" He laughed, holding his large belly. "Just you? I'm surprised. Prison must really make you strong, hmmm?" Regal just glared at him, growing furious.

"...Who's that?" Sheena asked, standing behind Zelos. The rest of the group was still hiding behind the curve.

"That's... Vharley, the Exsphere broker. What's he doing here?" Zelos muttered, staring at the scene quietly.

"Why are you here?! Why has the Pope let you stay free? That's not what I agreed to!" Regal yelled.

Vharley just laughed again. "Hahaha! Did you think the Pope would really keep a promise to a murderer?" he mocked, he and his men laughing again.

Sheena gasped a little, shocked. Zelos' eyes narrowed, muttering something to himself before he turned to look at the two girls behind him. "When this is..." he stopped short, noticing that Presea appeared to be shaking. "Presea?" he whispered, causing Sheena to look at her too. "Hey, are you all right?"

Regal, on the other hand, was caught up in his anger towards Vharley. "_Silence_!" he bellowed, causing Vharley and his men to jump backwards a little. "If the Pope will not fulfill his promise, then I will punish you myself!" He got into a fighting stance, ready to charge at them.

Vharely panicked a little, backing away. "No way! I'm gettin' out of where!" He and his men rushed away, leaving Regal behind ready to run after them.

"Come back here!" Regal yelled.

"Oy, Regal!" Zelos yelled, stopping the older man short as he tried to run. "Something's wrong with Presea!"

Regal paused, debating what to do in his mind before he turned around, rejoining the group. "Yes, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.

Presea was still shaking, somewhat curled up on the floor. "I dunno. I looked back at her, and she was like this," Zelos said. Sheena was sitting next to Presea, trying to comfort her. "I think she's scared or something."

Presea shook a little, muttering into her lap. "I... I hate that man. I hate..." The group looked at each other before looking back at the small girl.

Regal crouched down next to Presea as well, speaking gently to her. "Presea? That man is gone now. It's okay."

Presea stilled some, her blank eyes looking up. "...Gone?" she said, her tone back to its usual dullness.

Regal nodded. "Yes. For now."

Presea paused, looking at her lap for a moment before getting up, looking as if nothing had happened. The group sighed somewhat in relief. Presea, however, paused again, her calculating look running over her face again. "The boat will arrive in approximately forty five minutes," she stated, causing the rest of the group to jump.

"Ah! We're going to be late!" Sheena cried, and she started a mad dash out of the mine, Zelos not far behind.

"Wait up, Sheena!" he whined.

Regal waited a moment, looking at Presea curiously. "...Are you... okay now?" he asked. Presea gave a nod. He smiled somewhat, and started to chase after the Chosen, Presea not far behind.

**--**

Whew, glad that over with. I was always frustrated with the Gnomelettes, especially in my first playthrough. I didn't have any of the things they wanted, and since I didn't have any access to a guide at that time, it was horribly frustrating to try and find some of the things. (Especially the recipe for curry. I had horrible luck trying to find the Wonder Chef.) Oh well. Now I just bring the stuff along so I'm ready. chuckle

And Zelos isn't going to be keeping what's happening to him secret for much longer. Right now, he just thinks it's him. Somewhat. And Zelos is stalling because... well, would you really like to keep running right into what you know will be your death? Yeah, I didn't think so. (And yes, that's the reason he wanted the Inhibitor Ore. Just another reason to stall.)

Anyway, nothing else to say about this chapter, really. Took me a while to write since I lost interest in it for a little while. Next chapter will be finished the second seal and trying to get to the third seal.

Hope you're enjoying this.

-tani-chan


	4. Chapter 4 It's Beginning To Get To Me

Run

I apologize for missing posting this last week. _sweat_ I caught a rather nasty cold, and I've been feeling very icky the past week. (I even had to miss two days of work last week, including last Thursday, which is why I didn't post.) Still, sorry about that. Orz.

This is probably my least favourite chapter. _sigh_ A lot of this turned out being too cheesy for my tastes, but I couldn't figure out how to cut that out without cutting out plot points. Oh well. (The scene between Zelos and Sheena might get a rework later...)

Anyway, sorry for the lateness of this post, but please check it out at the LJ post as well – at the username **boundtobeafraid** – which includes skits and chapter art!

Anyway, thanks again to anyone who's been reading this, and I hope you keep liking it!

**--**

**Run**

**by tani-chan**

**Chapter Four – It's Beginning To Get To Me**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it thereof. Why I would, I have no idea.

**Genre: **Drama/Action/Adventure

**Rating: **PG-13

**Note: **This is a shot at a bunny that's been eating my brain for no particular reason. I've always liked the idea of Zelos going through the Chosen ritual instead, and what that would entail. This is probably by no means a canon take on things, and really just me playing around with a rather odd plot device. chuckle Oh, and the title of the fanfiction and chapters come from the songs of the same name by Snow Patrol, which me listening to them is what really got the bunny rolling. Other than that, I really have no reason for this strange thing.

**--**

_Are you beginning to get my point_

_That all this fighting with aching joints_

_Is doing nothing but tire us out_

_And no-one knows what this fight's about_

**It's Beginning To Get To Me**

**--**

"Chosen of Regeneration... You have done well in reaching this far. Now, offer your prayers at the altar."

Zelos sighed, looking at the glowing light over the altar before stepping forward. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, folding his hands in prayer. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!" Zelos unfurled his wings, floating up a little, with a grimace of pain on his face.

The light over the altar glowed brighter, dissipating and floating upwards into the ceiling of the cavern. A burst of light appeared from the ceiling, lighting up the dank place as a ball of light floated down. The ball flashed, and then Azrael appeared, hovering down a little, his usual sublime smile plastered on his face.

"The second seal is now released. You have done well, Chosen One," he said, his tone light and airy.

Zelos snorted to himself. "Sure thing."

"Accept this blessing from Cruxis. I hereby grant you additional angelic power," he said, his hand outstretched. Zelos sighed, lowering his head and folding his hands again. The four coloured lights appeared as they did before, twisting and converging into Zelos, causing him to glow briefly and his wings to shimmer.

"The next seal lies far to the northeast, in a place where a storm's power resides on a solitary island. Offer your prayers at the altar in that distant land," Azrael droned, his wings fluttering. Zelos just gave a nod. Azrael paused for a moment, staring at Zelos, but just smiled a bit wider, floating upwards again and disappearing into the blinding light above. "I will be waiting for you at the next seal, Chosen. Hurry and become a true angel," his voice echoed in the chamber, and the light faded. Zelos sighed, floating down to the ground again.

"Ah, glad that's over," Zelos sighed and stretched, rubbing his arm where he got cut from the earlier fight. "Augh, if I ever see another rat again, it'll be too soon," he muttered. The monster of the seal had been a giant, dark mole like creature that had razor-sharp claws. It was horrible to fight, as it took to burrowing underground and then attacking the group while it was hidden, as well as casting dreadful attacks that would cause earthquakes and almost knock down most of the group.

Sheena sighed, also worn out from the fight. "Ugh, I'd have to agree. That thing was vicious," she muttered, looking around the dank cavern, her eyes still adjusting back to the darkness after all the bright lights. Regal and Presea also looked tired, rubbing their own cuts and bruises.

The trip down to the room with the seal hadn't been easy, and they had been stopped multiple times by those strange Gnomeletts. (One had wanted them to cook, another wanted them to guard him as he led them down to a bridge they had to collapse, and only one was actually kind to them.)

"I can't wait to get out of this _cave_," Zelos whined, the group starting their way back out of the Temple. At least this time they knew the way out. Their first attempts to wander around the Temple got them nearly lost and trying to get back to any place they recognized was difficult since most of the areas looked the same. It didn't help that Zelos had taken to playing with Sorcerer's Ring during their trek through the place, which either caused rocks or monsters to fall on them.

"Just don't play with that ring anymore while we're in here, and we'll be out quickly," Sheena told him, ready to pluck it off his fingers if he tried it again. Zelos chuckled a little nervously, shaking his head. "Believe me hunny, I'm not gonna," he said.

About halfway back to the entrance, Zelos stopped, his face growing a little pale. Sheena stopped as well, worried. "Oh no, you're not going to faint again, are you?" she said, coming off more harsh than she meant to, but starting to expose her wrist to feel his forehead for a temperature.

Zelos paused, but shook his head, continuing to walk. "I'll be fine," he muttered. Sheena pursed her lips, not really believing him, but pulled her glove back on and followed him.

The group blinked in the light outside the Temple, a little blinded from the sudden change in light. "Why are all these places so dark?" Sheena muttered, walking past Zelos, who had stopped short again.

"...Chosen?" Regal inquired, stopping when he noticed that Zelos was not keeping up with the group. "Are you all right?"

Zelos paused, his face blanching again, and shook his head before he tilted and started to fall. Sheena rushed forward, catching him and getting him to balance. Regal sighed, nodding to himself. "Let's set up camp then."

**--**

Sheena awoke, shaking her head as some tendrils of a dream still lingered in her mind. She may have been sleeping for maybe thirty minutes, if she was lucky. They had found another clearing not far from the temple and had set up a camp very quickly. Zelos had been passed out for most of the time and didn't even stir when Regal broke a large log in half for the fire. When they had all retired for bed though, Sheena found it hard to sleep, worry and anxiety swirling in her gut. Apparently, she wasn't going to be able to stay asleep, either.

Grumbling to herself, she looked around the small camp, where Regal and Presea were still curled up near the now dead fire. Zelos' bed, however, was empty. A new surge of worry filled her gut, as she looked around the surrounding hills and calmed when she saw him sitting on a hill close to the camp.

"Hey," she called, climbing up the small incline towards him. Zelos turned and looked at her, then went back to looking up at the stars. "Why are you still up?" Sheena asked, sitting next to him.

He shrugged, still looking upwards. "Can't sleep."

Sheena nodded in agreement. "Me, too. Just must be all the anxiety or something," she said, chuckling a little nervously as she curled up a little.

Zelos however shook his head, touching her shoulder so she would look at him. "No," he said. "I _can't_ sleep."

She stared at him, raising her eyebrow. She wasn't sure what he was trying to get at. "Right. Sometimes people can't fall asleep-" He cut her off though, leaning in a little closer, looking exasperated. "_No_," he ground out. "I _can't _sleep."

Sheena withdrew a little from him, confused. "What- What do you mean? You can't be serious-" she stopped though when she caught the look on his face. "...you _are_?"

Zelos sighed heavily, releasing her shoulder and leaning back. "I just can't fall asleep, no matter how hard I try," he began. He looked like he had been dying to get this off his chest, looking at her for some sort of reassurance in what he was saying.

Sheena, however, snorted a little, still not sure if she believed him. "What are you talking about? You were passed out for hours back at camp."

Zelos gave her a look though, shaking his head. "I wasn't really asleep. I just didn't want to get up."

Sheena sighed at him, burying her head in her hands. "That doesn't mean you can't sleep, though..."

"I wouldn't be too worried about it if I could still eat, too," he said, catching her off guard.

Sheena blinked, raising her eyebrow again. "What do you mean you can't eat-" she stopped again, thinking of how little he had been eating lately, as things suddenly started to click in her mind. She turned to look at him, her expression of faint horror and disbelief. "You're... you're kidding."

Zelos chuckled cynically, catching her look. "I wish I was. I stopped feeling hungry after the first seal. Well, at first I thought it was rather convenient – didn't have to stop to eat or anything. But, quite frankly, it sucks," he ended with a sigh, obviously not pleased with what was going on. "And now I can't sleep either." Sheena was speechless, completely unsure of what to say to him. She still couldn't believe that what he was saying was true, but...

Zelos looked at her, raising an eyebrow at her shock. "What? Did you think that your cooking was that bad?" he teased, pleased when Sheena flushed and glared at him in response. He just chuckled sarcastically, continuing. "Heh, it's just all the food is... tasteless. And I don't get hungry, so there's no real point in eating it, is there?" He shrugged. "Makes me feel sick if I do try to eat anyway."

Sheena stared at him, her stomach twisting. "...How... Why are you telling me this?" she said, still unsure of what to say to him. How could something like that be happening to him? How was it even possible? It wasn't right.

Zelos just laughed. "Oh, I dunno. I don't know the big guy or the little girl well, and I wanted your sympathy, hunny," he said sarcastically. Sheena fumed.

"How can you stay so nonchalant about this?" she yelled, making him back up a bit with the force of her voice. "You're..." she trailed off, starting to feel her stomach flip in worry, her fist clenching into the grass beneath her. She stopped, biting her lower lip. Why was this bothering her so much, and why did this man always frustrate her so much?

Zelos paused, a little surprised in Sheena's mood change. He looked at her hands fisted in the ground, and then looked back up at her face, which was partly covered by her bangs as she looked downwards. "...Sheena," he began, his tone quiet and concerned.

"No! You... Stupid Chosen!" she said looking up at him. "Don't you want to eat? Don't you want to sleep when you're tired? What- what is happening to you?"

Zelos shrunk back from her a little, and then looked down at the ground. "...I suppose it's just part of this Chosen deal," he said. He sighed audibly, looking tired. "I may not like it, but I don't have much choice in the matter anyway." Sheena tried to glare at him again, but failed, feeling more and more unsure.

"I'll be fine, I'll be fine," he chastised, waving his hand to calm her as he caught her look. "I'm sure I can think of something good out of this," he mumbled, looking thoughtful for a moment. Sheena stared at him, feeling her stomach flip and her face grow warm when he looked up at her, his face grinning. "I know! I don't get hungry, and I don't get tired! I could be the best lover ever!"

Sheena face faulted, her unease disappearing as fast as it came. "_What_?" she asked in disbelief.

Zelos grinned, looking very pleased with himself. "I would have the best stamina ever! I'd never have to stop!" He laughed triumphantly, pleased with his discovery.

Sheena just stared at him, getting up. "Augh, you're horrible! How can you think of something like that?"

Zelos just smiled lewdly at her, also getting up. "Well, perhaps we could test my theory," he said seductively, leaning in close to her.

Sheena glared at him angrily, turning away and slapping her hand against her forehead. "Just... shut up, you stupid Chosen," she ground out, walking away from him a little, her face flushed. The man was insufferable! Zelos chuckled, wrapping his arms behind his head.

After a pause, Sheena turned and looked at him again, her tone gentle and quiet. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked.

Zelos paused as well. "...Eventually. You get some sleep," he said, his tone also gentle. "You need it more than me," he added jokingly, grinning at her like always. Sheena looked at him disbelievingly, but nodded, walking down the hill to return to the camp.

Zelos sighed a little, a little bit of a smile still on his face. "...I'll be fine."

**--**

The following morning the group dismantled the camp easily after a quick breakfast. Sheena kept to herself what Zelos had decided to tell her last night, still half hoping that it was just some crazed dream due to stress. Zelos seemed tired though, and only ate a small portion of his food, which was quickly becoming the norm.

Once breakfast was done, they all gathered around the small Tethe'alla map that Sheena brought along, contemplating where the next seal could be. "Well, Azrael mentioned that it was 'in a place where a storm's power resides on a solitary island,''" Regal said, looking studiously at the map in front of him. "I believe that may be the Temple of Lighting that he's talking about..."

Sheena instantly froze. "Ah- Ah, but-" she stammered, catching the attention of the rest of the group.

"What is wrong?" Presea asked, looking at her as if analyzing her for damage. Sheena continued to stammer for a moment before turning away, unable to form the words. Regal and Presea exchanged curious glances, and Zelos just looked at her quietly.

"There's always the Temple of Darkness!" Sheena blurted out. "That's much closer, and it's not like we _have_ to do them in the order that Azrael is giving us!"

Regal raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but those clues are the easiest to follow-"

"Ah, stuff it old man," Zelos said, making both Sheena and Regal flush, although mostly from anger on Regal's part. "If Sheena doesn't want to go to the Temple of Lighting yet, we don't have to." He stretched, as if to prove his point. "Anyway, she's right. The Temple of Darkness isn't far from the Fooji Mountains, and we're much closer to it than that dank little island." He grinned. "Besides, I'm tired of following whatever that high and mighty angel has to say."

Sheena stilled. She wasn't sure whether to kill him or thank him profusely for causing this detour. After all, he probably knew about _that_...

Zelos must have caught her look, because he chuckled, wrapping his arms behind his head. Regal merely gave another sigh. "...I suppose that's true. The legends do seem to mention the Temple of Darkness anyway..." he said, pausing to try and recall what he was taught as a boy.

"Sure does," Zelos said nonchalantly. "Besides, I don't think visiting a _Temple_ is going to set us off track."

Presea nodded mechanically, turning to face west. "While closer than the Temple of Lightning, the Temple of Darkness is approximately 88.4 kilometers from this location. It will take two days to reach the destination on foot in best conditions."

Zelos shrunk away from the girl some, a little creeped out. This girl was way too strange, even for his tastes. "Dear little Presea, how on earth do you continue to do that..." He paused, realizing something. "Two days?! Augh, why are these things so far away from each other..."

"You are the one who decided on this, Chosen," Regal said, already starting to walk.

"Yeah, Zelos, come on. Quit complaining," Sheena remarked, walking as well, Presea close behind.

"Ah, wait for meee-" Zelos whined, chasing after them.

**--**

It took a very long three days to get to the Temple of Darkness, mostly since it started to rain the second day of the journey to it and all through that night. They had stopped at a House of Guidance the day before to stock up on supplies, but the flimsy tents they had packed didn't do much to block the rain from soaking them limb from limb.

Near the end of the third day, they finally reached the Temple of Darkness. The whole group had nearly fallen down the steep cliff that led to the Temple multiple times since the whole slope was slick with the rain. Sheena had a near deadly fall at the top when the ground gave way beneath her. But Zelos had managed to catch her, flying down to catch her easily.

"Hey, what do you know, these things are useful," he teased, hugging her tight as he brought her back up to the ridge where the Temple lay. As soon as he let go of her, Sheena gave him a firm smack before walking off, fuming.

"Yeah, you're welcome, too, hunny!"

The group gathered around the entrance to the Temple. The tall domed building almost loomed over them, casting a dark shadow over the group as the sun began to set behind it. Sheena shuddered as she looked at it. "Augh, I hate this place..."

"So, this is the Temple of Darkness," Regal remarked, looking up at the rather imposing structure.

"Yeah," Sheena said. "I've been here once before with the Elemental Research Academy, at least before the Tower of Salvation disappeared, and it sealed back up."

Regal nodded. "Ah, yes. I heard about that. All the Temples became sealed and would not open until the Chosen accepted his journey and opened them himself, correct?"

Sheena gave a nod in response, looking back at Zelos who was looking out over the cliff. Her heart thudded faintly as she remembered what he had told her only a few nights ago. Feeling awkward, she turned away, focusing her attention elsewhere. "...Yeah. Although, what a Chosen we got..." she mumbled.

"What was that, hunny?!" Zelos yelled, obviously hearing what she said.

"Nothing," Sheena whistled innocently.

After coaxing a grumbling Zelos to come and touch the Oracle Stone so they could enter the temple, the group all crowed into the pitch-black temple. "...Is it just me, or is it darker in here than it is outside?" Zelos said, stumbling around for a moment in the darkness, nearly tripping over Regal.

Sheena squinted into the dark, almost hoping that she could try and see something. "Augh, I forgot about this..." Sheena sighed, exasperated.

"Forgot what?! That you can't see anything in here?" Zelos said, still trying to find a way in the darkness and this time tripping into Presea.

Sheena sighed. "We need the Blue Candle. The guys at the Elemental Research Academy have it, so..."

"That is in Meltokio, right?" Regal said, yelping when Zelos crashed into him.

"Augh, sorry, big guy," Zelos mumbled.

Sheena fumed. "Zelos! Quit walking around! You can't see!" She tumbled after him, too, but being careful of their companions.

Regal quickly regained composure, coughing a little as Sheena and Zelos fumbled in the darkness – Sheena was trying to make him stop moving. "Well, we would need to return to Meltokio for that, then."

The movement in front of him instantly stilled, and Zelos let out a long whine. "Back?! _Again_?! You've got to be kidding me-"

**--**

Well, finally got this chapter done. sigh I'm not too sure of the dialogue between Zelos and Sheena when he tells her what's happening to him... Right now it feels kinda cheesy. Kinda sad that it's the longest bit in this chapter. Oh well. I might rework it, but for right now it'll do.

This chapter kinda feels... pathetic to me. I wanted to have so much more happen, but I couldn't think of anything good for right now. I've got ideas lined up for the next chapter at least, and I'll get the story going a bit faster paced. Right now it feels like I'm writing the Lord of the Rings or something... We're walking, we're walking- _hit_ (Not that this fanfiction is comparable by any means to it, but goodness, did Tolkien draw out that journey...)

Anyway, next chapter! It'll be much more exciting, I promise. Will Zelos' return to Meltokio bode well, or is something waiting for them there? Find out next week on- _hit_

...Anyway. Hope you're enjoying this.

-tani-chan


	5. Chapter 5 Riot, Please

I know, I know. Another week post late. _sigh_ My health has not been kind to me lately, ugh. I managed to catch yet another cold, so that's why I'm late again. _facepalm_ Yeah, I hate it too.

I've been working on the next part to Run (chapter 12 onwards), but of course, I'm getting stuck on it. _sigh_ Hopefully I'll get over the writer's block soon so I can work on the rest of it. I'd like to keep up my posting schedule without having to go on hiatus on this for a month…

Anyway, as always, check out the post on LJ – hosted at the username **boundtobeafraid** – for skits and chapter art!

Again, thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I'm sorry I don't get a chance to respond to many of you. Do know that it means a lot to me though!

**--**

**Run**

**by tani-chan**

**Chapter Five – Riot, Please**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it thereof. Why I would, I have no idea.

**Genre: **Drama/Action/Adventure

**Rating: **PG-13

**Note: **This is a shot at a bunny that's been eating my brain for no particular reason. I've always liked the idea of Zelos going through the Chosen ritual instead, and what that would entail. This is probably by no means a canon take on things, and really just me playing around with a rather odd plot device. chuckle Oh, and the title of the fanfiction and chapters come from the songs of the same name by Snow Patrol, which me listening to them is what really got the bunny rolling. Other than that, I really have no reason for this strange thing.

**--**

_Never go back down, well it's anybody's guess_

_What a riot_

**Riot, Please**

**--**

"Tell me why we _all_ have to walk _all_ the way back to Meltokio?" Zelos whined for the umpteenth time. The group was probably halfway back to the area of the capital city, but it had rained yet again once they left the Temple of Darkness. That and bandits had attacked their camp late last night, and none of them had a good amount of sleep (save Zelos, who didn't need it). If Zelos hadn't been awake, they probably wouldn't have even heard them coming.

After finding that lording around that fact was quickly growing boring, Zelos had gone back to whining about walking all the way back. Sheena wasn't quite sure why he was complaining about it, since he wasn't the one who was getting worn out from it. It was probably that it was just in his nature to complain if things didn't go smoothly for him.

"Just shut up, Zelos! We're more than halfway there already," Sheena snapped, the lack of sleep getting to her. Zelos merely let out another long whine, trudging after them as if he was walking through mud (which he was, but Sheena didn't want to think of that). If Zelos was trying to aggravate her, he was succeeding.

"Look, you can lounge around your house for a couple days if you want. I know I wouldn't mind having a small break," Sheena suggested, hoping that he would shut up. Zelos only shrugged, but he did pick up his pace a little. Regal and Sheena both let out a sigh of relief, worn out from the long journey. Sheena mused that Zelos must be tired, too, even if he couldn't feel it. At least she hoped that was why he was complaining so much.

"We should probably try to rest at the House of Guidance if we're not far from it tonight," Regal said. After they had walked for another twenty minutes, the group had stopped for a quick lunch and a look at the map. "We're close to the main road, so we probably are not too far off. I know _I _do not want a repeat of last night."

Sheena nodded, sighing in exasperation. "Tell me about it," she grumbled, rubbing her shoulder from where one of the bandits had managed to hit her with his sword.

"Glad I was awake, huh, hunny?" Zelos teased, his eyes twinkling.

Sheena grimaced. "Quit bragging about it. Yes, thank you for catching them and waking us up. Sheesh," she said, rolling her eyes. Zelos just laughed.

"Presea, are you doing okay?" Sheena asked, talking sweetly to the younger girl.

Presea was still mechanically chewing one of the sandwiches they had made, staring off blanking into the empty field around them. "Lack of required amount of rest has made walking slow and unproductive. Currently eating food to regain energy," she replied, swallowing the piece of food loudly.

Sheena sweated a little, smiling awkwardly. Something was seriously wrong with this girl. "I guess that's okay..."

Regal threw a quick look at the two girls before looking at the Chosen, who was currently staring at the field as well. "Chosen, you have not eaten yet. Aren't you hungry?" he inquired.

Zelos paused for a moment, but just shrugged, brushing it off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Stomach's upset," he muttered, going over to join Sheena in repacking things. Regal stared curiously at him, but dropped it. Zelos was not in a good mood, and Regal did not want to aggravate the Chosen any more.

The group made good headway for the rest of the day, despite the muddy ground and rumbling front in the distance. They were glad to find they were not far from the House of Guidance by late in the day and decided to spend the rest of the night there and leave early the next morning.

"Oy, Sheena, you want to share a room?" Zelos teased, swinging his room key in front of her.

Sheena grimaced, snatching the key out of his hand. "_You're_ rooming with Regal, you big pervert. You should be happy there's more than one room in this place," she grumbled the last part, shuffling Presea into their room.

Zelos let out a faint whine, but smiled. He was looking forward to at least laying down on the bed, even if he couldn't sleep. It was much better than staying up all night, crouched on the ground.

"Chosen," Regal said, walking up behind him.

"Ah, big guy. You need something?" Zelos responded, his hands crossed behind his head again.

"...You did not eat anything for dinner," Regal said.

Zelos shrugged again. "Stomach ache."

"You need to _eat_, Chosen," Regal said, stressing the word eat. Zelos merely shrugged yet again. Regal grumbled. The Chosen was frustrating; he could understand why Sheena grew angry with him so often. "You have not been eating, and I have noticed that you do not sleep much either. Is something wrong?"

Zelos smirked. "Ah, so you noticed," he said, and Regal looked at him in confusion. "Never you mind, big guy. I'm fine," he laughed. "I already talked to Sheena about that anyway..." he added in a mumble. Regal raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak again, but the Chosen interrupted him. "Now, where's the room key? I don't know about you, but those beds look mighty comfy!"

Regal sighed, letting him take the key out of his hands and move about the room excitedly. _The Chosen would probably continue to evade my questions no matter what I try_, Regal mused to himself, settling into the room for the night. _I suppose it is better that he tells us when he is ready._

There was a loud crash as Zelos knocked over a statue that was by the beds. "Ah, my bad. Think they'll make us pay for it?" He chuckled a little, not even bothering to pick up the pieces. Regal sighed. _A very frustrating man indeed._

**--**

"_Finally_! Meltokio!" Sheena sighed in relief. The giant walls that surrounded the city almost looked inviting now. Even she had grown tired of the long walk, and any excuse for a bit of break sounded novel to her. Regal also looked fondly at the tall walls, probably looking forward to the rest as well. Presea, as per always, was completely indifferent.

Zelos stood next to Sheena, looking up at the walls with a frown on his face. Sheena caught his look and looked at him curiously. "What's with you? I thought you'd be happy that we came here," she asked.

Zelos' frown grew deeper, and his eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the city. "I suppose. It's just... it sounds quiet."

Sheena raised an eyebrow. "Quiet?" She turned and looked at the city, straining her ears for any of the usual noise that emanated from the place. She frowned as well when she couldn't hear anything over the high walls. "Well, maybe we just can't hear anything from out here? It's not even midday yet," she said. _It _is_ odd though,_ Sheena thought to herself._ Usually this city doesn't shut up, even on the outside._

Zelos simply continued to frown, walking up to the city gates. The group followed after him as they walked into the city. Almost as soon as they entered, the people in the town square suddenly froze, all whispering to each other. Zelos raised an eyebrow, looking around at the crowd. "Well, I've had worse welcomes..."

"Chosen, Chosen you shouldn't be here!" A man nearby hissed to Zelos, looking around the crowd nervously.

Zelos blinked, confused. "What do you mean...?" he asked, but was interrupted by a girl nearly in tears.

"Pl-Please! Leave quickly, Lord Zelos!" the girl begged quietly. The group looked at each other, then back at the entrance suspiciously.

"What is going on?" Sheena asked.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd cried out loudly. "The Chosen! It's the Chosen! The Chosen is here!" A great clanking noise arose as a large group of Papal Knights ran towards the group, circling them in a matter of seconds.

"Chosen, you picked a bad time to return," the commander of the Knights said haughtily once his group had surrounded them.

Zelos merely smirked, raising his chin to look down at them. "Oh, really? Do tell."

The commander obviously grimaced at this, but extended his hand, pulling a scroll out of the pouch attached to his armor, booming the contents of it over the crowd. "You are hereby arrested in the name of his Majesty the Pope, the new and rightful leader of the Grand Kingdom of Tethe'alla!"

The whole group, minus Presea, nearly jumped up, looking at the Knights in shock. "_What_-?" Regal hissed, confused.

The commanding knight chuckled, obviously pleased with their reaction. "The old King is dead and Princess Hilda has fled the capital, leaving the Pope to take his rightful place as King!" he sneered.

"The King-? He's- He's _dead_?!" Sheena gasped in shock. The group of knights around them merely laughed, although a few in the crowd around them stifled sobs.

"A warrant for your arrest has been out for some time now, Chosen. It seems the council of priests have all agreed that you are not fit for your title, and we should... relinquish you of this burden as soon as possible." The commander grinned acidly.

Zelos glared at them, while Regal stepped forward, furious. "What have you done?! Why has the King died?"

The knights laughed again. "The King has been sick for quite a few years now, _prisoner_," the commander said, as if it was obvious. "Apparently he just... couldn't hold on any longer." A few in the crowd sobbed loudly. "The Pope has merely filled in the position since he is the most suited for it. Especially since the Princess has fled like a coward from her duty-"

"Ah, I doubt that," Zelos said, interrupting the knight. "I know Princess Hilda, and while she may be a bit young for the job, she most definitely would not flee from being Queen. Unless her life was in danger, of course," he finished, looking at all of the knights. "I have a good idea of what really has gone on here-"

"Silence!" the commander boomed, growing flustered. "You are under arrest, Chosen. You and your companions will be brought to the dungeon to await your judgment!" The group of Papal Knights closed in around them, grabbing their arms and starting to lead them up towards the castle.

Many of the girls in the crowd started to openly cry, some running back to their homes while most of the crowd started to follow the group. The knights had to form a ring around the prisoners as the crowd started to go into an uproar, yelling that it was unfair and unjust.

"Go back to your homes!" The commanding knight yelled at the crowd, which was quickly growing volatile with the sudden turn of events.

"If we don't handle this soon, sir, we'll have a riot on our hands!" one of the Knights said, growing nervous as the crowd continued to yell and push at them.

The commander, flustered, yelled back at the knight. "Shut up! Don't you think I know that?"

Zelos, who was standing next to Sheena in the ring of knights, laughed cynically. "And to think, all we wanted here was to get a _candle_."

**--**

After their capture, the group had been all stuffed into one of the tiny jail cells in the musty dungeon. Hours later, they could hear the riot still going on outside the castle. The crowd _had_ turned into an angry mob, most of them still furious with the King's death and now the Chosen's capture. Apparently, there had been a small riot before they had come as well, but that had been quieted.

"I suppose it is good to know that the people are resisting this," Regal said, staring out the small barred window in their cell that lead to the streets outside. The sky was orange with the glow of a fire that someone had set during the riot. The group was spread out as much as they could be in the cell - with Zelos sitting opposite Regal, Sheena standing near the bars, and Presea standing quietly in one of the corners.

Zelos gave out a small snort, not even bothering to look out the window. "It's not like they can do anything right now. From what we've heard, the Royal Knights either fled with Hilda, joined the Papal Knights, or were killed. I don't think these civilians will be able to stand up to the Papal Knights right now," Zelos said cynically, sighing. "I highly doubt any of the nobles are in this fight, anyway."

"Will you quit being such a pessimist?! " Sheena snapped, frustrated with Zelos' attitude. He hadn't been saying anything pleasant the whole time they had been captured, always putting down their hopes or anything good they had been trying to make of their situation.

Zelos merely shrugged, sneering. "Just telling the truth, hunny." Sheena huffed at him, but chose to drop it. She had already yelled at him before about it, and that had just devolved into a stupid fight that pissed off the guard.

The group heard a knock at the door leading to the dungeon, and Sheena strained to look outside the bars to figure out who it was. "Who is it?" Zelos whispered, stepping up behind her.

"I don't know!" She hissed back, waving her arm to get him to back away. The door shut closed, and footsteps approached the cell. Sheena gasped gently. "Wait, that's-"

"Sheena!" It was one of the researchers from the Elemental Research Laboratory. He rushed up to the cell, smiling at the group, although they could tell that he was very nervous.

"Oh! You..." Sheena said, clinging onto the bars in front of her. "They let you out of the Research lab..."

"I snuck away," the man whispered, chuckling a little nervously. "Listen, I heard you wanted the Blue Candle?"

Sheena nodded, casting a look back at the group before talking again. "Yeah, that's why we came here in the first place. We never expected this to happen..."

The researcher sighed. "Yes, so many things have happened..." he trailed off, looking at the guard before scuttling up next to the bars. "Here," he whispered, handing her a small candle through the bars.

Sheena plucked it quickly from his hands and stuffed it safely away in her obi. "...Why are you doing this? You could get killed, especially now," she whispered, her tone concerned.

The researcher chuckled again, shrugging. "You take care of Corrine for us, much better than we ever did. And you've been nothing but a help to our research and us. We all agreed on this," he said, smiling at her.

Sheena gave him a smile back. "...Thank you. Thank you so much," she murmured. "Oh, I should call out Corrine – he should thank you, too-"

"Hey! Why are you taking so long?" the guard yelled, stomping over.

"Ah, maybe another time," the man said, sweating a little nervously as the guard came over. "Don't worry," he whispered, catching the group's attention. "A friend of yours is coming, Sheena."

Sheena's eyes widened, looking at him in shock. "You didn't-"

"Time's up! Go back to your station, half-elf! You should be glad I showed you any decency at all!" the guard yelled, motioning for the man to follow him as he glared at the group.

The researcher sighed, following after the rather bumbling guard and waving a good-bye to Sheena. "Good luck," he mouthed.

Once the researcher had left, and the guard was safely out of sight again, the group all turned to look at Sheena. "What did he mean by 'a friend'?" Regal asked. Sheena paused, then nodded, looking at the group, speaking quietly.

"Mizuho is coming."

**--**

Hours later, the riot had seemed to quiet down some, although the group could still hear small fights and yells at times. The citizens of Meltokio had put up a good fight, but it seemed that they had been quelled again. The group had managed to stay awake, watching for any sign of the promise of help from Mizuho.

Late into the night, after most of the group had lost the battle with sleep, Zelos awakened them. "Hmm, what is it?" Sheena whispered, shaking herself. She had fallen asleep sitting up, trying vainly to stay awake through the night. Zelos just gave her the signal to hush, motioning for her to follow him to the bars.

After a few moments, they heard a muffled cry from the guard and then a thud. Gentle footsteps rushed over to their cell, and a man dressed in blue Mizuho robes emerged from the gloom. "Orochi!" Sheena said happily, glad to see her friend. Orochi smiled back at her, giving her the motion to be quiet as a few other ninja appeared and stood guard as he picked the lock.

It was quick work, and the group was soon out of the cell. "I'm sorry we have come so late," Orochi said quietly, giving a bow to Sheena.

Sheena shook her head. "No, thank you," she whispered back, bowing to him and the others.

"We were going to use the riot as a cover, but it was too difficult with all the Papal Knights around," he explained.

"We'll use the night instead," Sheena supplied, grinning at him. Orochi smiled back, and motioned for the group to follow him, quietly. The group moved quickly and as quietly as they could out of the dungeon. The ninja had apparently knocked out a few of the other guards that were on patrol in the hall, and Orochi motioned for them to follow him out a secret passage that lead to the Pope's old office.

"We're somewhat lucky that he doesn't stay in here anymore," Orochi whispered sarcastically as they snuck through the room. "It made it much easier to break into the castle."

As they passed by his desk, Zelos noticed a few folders spread out on it with the group's names on them. "Hey, wait a minute. What are these?" he questioned, picking them up.

"Zelos! We don't have time!" Sheena hissed, trying to pull him away from them.

"Just a second," he hissed back, quickly looking at them before taking them along with him. The group moved as quickly as they could through the church, pausing at the great doors before moving quietly outside them. "Orochi!" a ninja hissed, rushing up to the group, almost out of breath. "Orochi, I'm sorry, but they-"

Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded out from the castle and yells of orders bellowed. "The Chosen! The Chosen has escaped!"

Orochi cursed under his breath and motioned for the group to follow him. They rushed through the streets of Meltokio, trying to ignore the loud clanking of the armor behind him. Soon enough, they reached the city gates, only to find them closed shut. "Dammit!" Orochi cursed, motioning again for them to follow him. "We were going to use the sewers anyway. Follow me!"

The group rushed over to the entrance to the sewers, but the commander of the Papal Knights was waiting for them there. "Why, Chosen! How dare you escape!" he bellowed, standing triumphantly over the manhole cover. "And you- Mizuho! You really are a bunch of traitors!"

Orochi and the ninja stilled, a scowl over their faces. Sheena scowled as well, stepping forward. "We were- _are_ loyal to the true King of Tethe'alla! Not the Pope!"

The commander glared at her, brandishing his axe. "How- how dare you! You will all die for such impudence!" he yelled, ready to swing at her. Suddenly, people jumped out of the bushes surrounding them, attacking the commander with rocks and a few with makeshift weapons.

A man from the group turned to them as the rest pushed the commander away from the manhole cover. "Chosen, please leave! We will hold them off!"

Zelos paused, looking at the group then back at the man. "...You-" he began, but stopped, shaking his head. "Never mind. I wouldn't be able to convince you lot anyway," he said, looking up to grin at them. "You show them who's boss!" he yelled, pumping his fist as he and the rest of the group tumbled into the sewers. The man grinned back, pumping his fist as well as he rejoined the fight.

"...Thank you," Orochi said to the crowd, descending into the sewer as well.

A man shrugged, smiling at him. "Hey, we may not always get along, but at least we can help!" he said, and Orochi smiled back, closing the manhole as he went down. The crowd of people stood over it, protecting it as the fight raged on as more Papal Knights appeared.

**--**

Well, that ended a little awkwardly. Oh well.

So. The King is dead, Princess Hilda has fled, and the Pope has taken control. Quite a turn of events, right? _laugh_ Since you find out about the King being poisoned in the game, I thought it would be interesting if the Pope managed to carry out his plan in this. The main reason why he was stopped was because of Lloyd's group anyway, so no one would notice and something like this could have happened.

This was a bit weird to write, with all the Papal Knights and what not going on. They're quite the bumbling bunch, even in the game. Poor dears are probably holding back with all their strength against the angry citizens of Meltokio. I do not think that they would just willingly let the Pope take over. Anyone upsetting any ruling force faces consequences, especially from the people that were governed by that force. Taking Zelos into custody is a fairly foolhardy thing to do when everyone's hoping for salvation, too.

Anyway, I'll hush up now. I hope you're enjoying this, even with all of the weirdness happening.

-tani-chan


End file.
